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Beckham's 250-million-dollar Deal Could Convert US Fans

11:11 PM, January 11th 2007

The signing of David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy in an estimated 250-million-dollar deal could be a vital move to turn the US into a "soccer nation," the country's football enthusiasts said Thursday.

The LA Galaxy described the deal as the "biggest in sporting history" but said that the staggering amount was justified by Beckham's potential to transform football into a mainstream American sport.

"David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally," said Tim Leiweke, the president of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which runs the Galaxy. "David is truly the only individual that can build the bridge between soccer in America and the rest of the world."

The luring to America of the former England captain and Real Madrid star was enabled by a rule change by Major League Soccer, the main football league in the US, which just last year allowed each team to exceed the team salary cap of 2 million dollars with a single player whose salary falls out of the budget.

The new rule was nicknamed the "Beckham law" by fans of the sport.

LA Galaxy refused to reveal the "financial details" of Beckham's contract, but added in a statement that "his earnings are likely to run into hundreds of millions of dollars over the five-year period when all incomes are collated."

According to the British newspaper The Guardian, Beckham can expect to earn 25 million dollars per year from endorsements, 10 million dollars in salary, 10 million dollars in shirt sales, and a further share of the club's profits. European teams have stricter rules governing how much endorsement income a player may keep.

Beckham's move to Los Angeles has been the subject of persistent rumours for months, fuelled by the location of his summer soccer academy in the city and the attraction of the showbiz capital for the sporting superstar and his singer wife Victoria Beckham, who was previously known as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls.

The rumours went into overdrive recently when Victoria was spotted house hunting in ritzy Beverly Hills and other glamourous neighbourhoods.

Beckham will not be the first footballing superstar in the US. Former Germany coach and playing great Juergen Klinsmann already lives in Los Angeles.

A string of other greats have also made audacious bids to elevate football into the US sporting mainstream, including Brazilian legend Pele and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer, who played for the now defunct New York Cosmos in the 1970s, and Germany's Lothar Matthaeus, who spent part of 2000 playing for what was then known as the New Jersey MetroStars.

While US sports enthusiasts largely rejected such efforts in favour of their homegrown baseball and US style football, Beckham's deal could be a breakthrough for the popularity of soccer, as it is known in the US.

The growth of cable sports channels means there is a ready outlet for football games to be covered on television, say experts. Moreover, Beckham's image as a style and cultural superstar will give him unprecedented exposure in the US media.
There's little doubt that football in America could do with such an injection. Major League Soccer, the sport's premier league, is estimated to have lost 350 million dollars in the ten years of its existence, according to Business Week. The league has 12 professional teams, many of which do not even play in soccer-specific stadiums.

Even before the Beckham signing, there were signs that the tide was turning. The Los Angeles Galaxy last year became the first ever team to turn a profit, while the MLS says that by 2010 all its teams will play in stadiums purpose-built for football.

By that year the league plans to add three more teams. In addition, last year the league signed a breakthrough deal with the sports network ESPN which will bring its broadcast fees to 20 million dollars per year. ESPN will also now promote the sport across all its programming.

Beckham's deal thus looks perfectly timed to give the sport the boost it needs. There are already an estimated 18 million players in the country - the vast majority of them kids who play in tightly coached teams rather than enjoying kick-arounds in the school playground.

The Association of US Sports Equipment Manufacturers estimates soccer to be the most popular school participation sport. But participation falls off dramatically in the late teens.

"Traditionally there have been no role models for kids to look up to and to keep their passion going for the sport," says amateur kids soccer coach Sam Clarkson in California. "That has been slowly changing - with stars like Landon Donovan and Freddy Adu. But Beckham coming over here is huge. He will take the sport into orbit."

MLS Commissioner Don Garber agreed.

"David Beckham is a global sports icon who will transcend the sport of soccer in America," he said in a statement. "His decision to continue his storied career in the MLS is testament to the fact that America is rapidly becoming a true 'Soccer Nation'."

Just my 2 cents-That's what this related thread...

Originally Posted by cooler

for 63 million USD, you can sign up all the top 5 MS players, top 4 of WS, top 2 pairs MD, top 2 pairs of XD, and top 2 pairs WS for a 3 years contract. (63/21/3 = 1 million USD/yr each to play for 3 years. The remaining 187 millions can be use to build badminton courts across the country and buy future rising star players. US is guarantee win all the titles for the next century. We can dream can't we?

...Badminton will be popular when... is trying to get our inputs...
A professional badminton league in the U.S.??...
Another thing is, soccer is different because it's predominantly played with leagues within different countries all over the world; same with the NBA, NFL, NHL in the U.S., they're all league-based sports. Unlike badminton, where there is literally no professional leagues play yr round...

...was trying to get our inputs...
The thing is, soccer is different becuase it's mainly played with leagues within different countries; same with the NBA, NFL, NHL int he U.S., they're all league-based sports. Unlike badminton, where there is literally no leagues play yr round.

with just 20 million USD, u can sign up all the remaining top 20 and start a league All this will encourage more local players to become pros and join the leagues as well

It took the US such a long time to arrive at this conclusion when soccer has been the world's most popular sport. Wonder whether soccer will eventually overtake the popular US sports like basketball, baseball and ice hockey?

But it remains to be seen whether one Beckam can make many summers when King Pele and other great names have failed.

As you've made it out to be, poor cousin badminton in comparison looks so cheap. Even if all the world's best players join the US team and become world number 1, where will be the spectators?

A professional badminton league in the U.S.??..

with just 20 million USD, u can sign up all the remaining top 20 and start a league All this will encourage more local players to become pros and join the leagues as well

remember that beckham is already passed his prime too.

..as in this thread?? American Badminton League...sure, give Mr. Gobbie that $20mil and he'll start the league right away. .hehe, how abt, 1st tournament, with a grand prize of US$1Mil...i wonder if the rest of the world's top pros will fly all the way to the U.S. to play..hmmm

It's all in the almighty..

Originally Posted by Loh

It took the US such a long time to arrive at this conclusion when soccer has been the world's most popular sport. Wonder whether soccer will eventually overtake the popular US sports like basketball, baseball and ice hockey?

But it remains to be seen whether one Beckam can make many summers when King Pele and other great names have failed.

As you've made it out to be, poor cousin badminton in comparison looks so cheap. Even if all the world's best players join the US team and become world number 1, where will be the spectators?

Mr Punch will do well to emulate soccer.

Be careful for your dream may come true.

..dollar...Money(yeah, like Mr. Beckham still needs it), that's what makes the world go round and players on the last leg of their careers go half way across the world to play...Smart move one may ask?? You bet'cha bottom dollars..
Another interesting question to ponder is, will this move by Beckham cause some sort of a domino effect??..hehe, we shall see

This particular thread also reminds me....

...of another thread discussing "foreign" players import(badminton player from CHN & INA going to S'pore). Well, the U.S. just got a known, a well known i may add, soccer star. I would say this attempt is somewhat similar to what S'pore has been doing.

It's totally disgusting that one man can be given $250 million on the spot for little more than playing a game, when that $250 million could go towards saving say, a million people's lives... I hope he gives a good portion of it to charity, then I might not mind so much. Seriously why would anyone need $250 million??

A bit off topic-Actually..

Originally Posted by phaarix

It's totally disgusting that one man can be given $250 million on the spot for little more than playing a game, when that $250 million could go towards saving say, a million people's lives... I hope he gives a good portion of it to charity, then I might not mind so much. Seriously why would anyone need $250 million??

..It's reasonable to think that $250Mil is "an absurd" amt of money being paid to just 1 person playing a sport, let alone an athlete who is literally on the downside of his career and playing in an "unknown" league ..But the $250Mil over 5 yrs is not all soccer playing money. As a matter of fact, Becks will only get approx. $10Mil a season just for suiting up and playing for the Galaxy. The rest of it will likely come from numerous sponsorships, doing various advertisements, sells of jersey etc. Imagine, roughly 80% of those figures will come outside of playing soccer itself. ..Now, i don't know if those figures incl. his agency(AEG) or not. Talk abt the saying : "Image sells"..

It's totally disgusting that one man can be given $250 million on the spot for little more than playing a game, when that $250 million could go towards saving say, a million people's lives... I hope he gives a good portion of it to charity, then I might not mind so much. Seriously why would anyone need $250 million??

Too lazy to read all of that but i kno what would make badminton more popular,a anime on it,like prine of tennis,my cousin got into tennis cuz they watched it.After i watched it i wanted to play but i still like badminton better. But i guess this will only make asian more into badminton

..It's reasonable to think that $250Mil is "an absurd" amt of money being paid to just 1 person playing a sport, let alone an athlete who is literally on the downside of his career and playing in an "unknown" league ..But the $250Mil over 5 yrs is not all soccer playing money. As a matter of fact, Becks will only get approx. $10Mil a season just for suiting up and playing for the Galaxy. The rest of it will likely come from numerous sponsorships, doing various advertisements, sells of jersey etc. Imagine, roughly 80% of those figures will come outside of playing soccer itself. ..Now, i don't know if those figures incl. his agency(AEG) or not. Talk abt the saying : "Image sells"..

At least Bekham is popular - which is what they're gambling on. On the other hand - NBA teams regularly do this in the NBA to unpopular, undeserving players - Olowokandi, Vin Baker, Steve Francis etc.